WOMEN (ALMOST) IN SPACE:

NASA’S FIRST “LADY ASTRONAUT” TRAINEE ( FLAT ) PROJECT

By Jordan Ecker, Museum Teacher and Planetarium Presenter

We all know the story of the 1950s-1960s Space Race. The United States and the USSR Of those 13, three women, Jerri
(Soviet Union; modern day Russia) were engaged in the Cold War, where fighting didn’t Cobb, Rhea Woltman, and Wally
happen on the battlefield but in technological advancement. Both governments funneled Funk, were able to complete phase
money into their respective space programs. The USSR was ahead. Yuri Gagarin became two of testing, which included
the first man to orbit the earth in 1961, and John Glenn became the first American to psychological tests and the sensory
accomplish the same feat in 1962. While this was all going on, another program was deprivation testing. Cobb is the
happening behind the scenes, one that few people knew about. only one who was able to go on to
phase three, advanced aeromedical
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded in 1958 in examinations using military
response to the launch of the USSR satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957. One of its first goals was simulators and aircraft. The 13
to send a person into space – hopefully before the Soviets. In late 1958, NASA created its women had conflicting schedules,
selection criteria for the first astronauts. They decided that all astronauts should: which made advance testing hard to Jerri Cobb, during phase three of testing, April 1960. Cobb used
complete as a group. Most of them the Gimbal Rig in the Altitude Wind Tunnel to test how she would
do controlling the spin of a tumbling spacecraft.
1. Be between 25 and 40 years old underwent testing as individuals or Photo credit: Public Domain
2. Be less than 5’11” tall in pairs.
3. Hold a college degree in a STEM subject (engineers preferred)
4. Have completed 150 hours as a test pilot After Cobb completed and passed phase three testing, Dr. Lovelace scheduled the 13
5. Be an active duty fighter pilot (President Eisenhower insisted on this requirement) women to meet at the Naval School of Aviation Medicine in Pensacola, Florida, in late 1961
to have everyone complete testing. Two days before the two-week testing could start, all
Once NASA had their requirements for perspective astronauts, they interviewed 110 the women received a telegram stating that the testing had been canceled. Since NASA
candidates and selected 32 for physical and psychological testing. Dr. William Randolph had not ordered the tests, the Navy would not give their consent to use their facilities. The
Lovelace helped to create the physical testing protocol. Dr. Lovelace (1907-1965) was trainees were upset, as they had arranged child care, taken time off from work, and, in a
a Flight Surgeon in the Army Medical Corps Reserve and was appointed Chairman of few cases, quit their jobs to join the testing.
the NASA Special Advisory Committee on Life Science in 1958. Following the protocol
Dr. Lovelace helped create, the 32 astronaut candidates were subjected to extreme Immediately, Cobb went to Washington DC to lobby for the testing to resume. With the
and strenuous medical and physical tests including completing various math problems help of fellow trainee Jane Hart, whose husband was Michigan Senator Philip Hart, Cobb
in extreme heat and cold, running on treadmills to the point of exhaustion, and sensory petitioned President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson to find out why the program
deprivation testing. From those 32 candidates, seven were chosen as NASA’s inaugural was suddenly canceled. Their efforts resulted in them testifying before the Special
astronaut class. On April 9, 1959, Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, Gus Grissom, Wally Subcommittee on the Selection of Astronauts in the summer of 1962. Cobb and Hart
Schirra, Deke Slayton, Alan Shepard, and John Glenn were publicly introduced as the argued that the original criteria for astronaut selection were unfair to women, as they
Mercury 7 – the United States’ first astronauts. could not be military pilots. Both women offered that the group’s average of 10,000 hours
of flight time should be substituted for the needed military flying experience. They also
While the Mercury 7 astronauts argued that their testing should be allowed to continue, and that they should be included
publicly underwent rigorous testing, in the next astronaut class – with the men.
behind the scenes another group
was going through the exact same After Cobb and Hart’s testimonies, NASA director of Space Craft and Flight Missions
testing. Dr. Lovelace and Brigadier George Low, as well as astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, testified. Low argued
general Donald Fleckenger theorized that though the astronaut requirements did not “specifically” exclude women, but that
that since women were generally they “already had a large pool of [qualified] men... [and] we see, at this time, no need to
shorter and slighter than men, they broaden out that pool [to include women].” While Glenn and Carpenter claimed they
would better fit in the cramped space wanted to work with the “best,” both astronauts testified that they saw no need to include
capsules. To test their idea, two men women in the current program, as there were already a large group of qualified men.
invited well-known pilot Geraldyn
“Jerri” Cobb, in early 1960, to undergo Most of the committee members felt the same as Director Low that the requirements
the same testing as the Mercury 7 did not “specifically” exclude women. However, Representative James G. Foulton of
completed. Cobb passed every test, Pennsylvania had a different opinion. Representative Foulton strongly argued that “since
and her results eventually placed her this group of women has passed these tests successfully, NASA should outline a training
in the top 2% of all test takers – men program that does not interfere with the current program,” and that “it’s the same old
or women. thing… men want[ing] to protect women and keep them out of the field so it can be kept for
the men. Though Representative Foulton, Jerri Cobb, and Jane Hart had made a good case
After Cobb’s success, Dr. Lovelace for the inclusion of women in the space program, the criteria for astronauts did not change
wanted to invite more women to to include women. The USSR went on to put the first woman in space in 1963.
undergo testing, and he created
criteria for his candidates similar to In the United States, it took until 1976 for women to be allowed to fly in all branches of
Jerri Cobb with a Mercury capsule, early 1960s.
that of NASA. Dr. Lovelace’s potential the military. This opened astronaut candidacy to women for the first time. In 1983, Sally
Photo credit: Public Domain “Lady Astronauts,” as they were called, Ride became the first American woman in space. Eileen Collins became the first woman
needed to meet these requirements: astronaut pilot in 1995, and she invited members of Dr. Lovelace’s project to watch her
1. Be 35 years or younger take off, finally fulfilling their dream 34 years later.
2. Be in good health
3. Hold a 2nd class medical certificate
4. Have a bachelor’s degree
The members of Dr. Lovelace’s test
5. Hold a FAA commercial pilot rating or better
group who Eileen Collins invited to
6. Have more than 2,000 hours of cumulative flying time
watch her become the first woman
astronaut pilot in 1995.
Eventually, Dr. Lovelace tested between 19 and 25 women who met these requirements.
Of that number, only 13 made it through the first phase of testing. Those women were: From left: Gene Nora (Stumburgh)
Jessen, Wally Funk, Jerri Cobb, Jerri
1. Jerri Cobb 8. Jean Hixson
(Sloan) Truhill, Sarah (Gorelick) Rutley,
2. Myrtle Cagle 9. Rhea Woltman
Myrtle Cagle, and Bernice Steadman.
3. Janet Dietrich 10. Gene Nora Stumbough (later Jessen)
4. Marion Dietrich (twin of Janet) 11. Irene Leverton Photo credit:Photo credit: Public Domain
5. Wally Funk 12. Jerri Sloan (later Truhill)
6. Sarah Gorelick (later Ratley) 13. Bernice Steadman
7. Jane “Janey” Briggs Hart Those women who took part in Dr. Lovelace’s tests were pioneers forgotten by history. It
is those women, and others, who paved the way for the five women in the 2017 astronaut
class who recently graduated. They may be the first women on the moon, or even some of
To learn how Mystic Seaport’s educational programs meet the Common
the first people on Mars. At the Treworgy Planetarium, we inspire girls to hopefully follow
Core standards and the CT Social Studies Frameworks,
in these incredible women’s footstep with a “Women in Space” Planetarium show and Girl
please see Scout space science badge workshops. For more information, please see https://www.
https://www.mysticseaport.org/learn/k-12-programs/common-core/ mysticseaport.org/learn/youth/groups/planetarium-programs-for-scouts/